Action Words
📖 Learn
Action words tell us what someone or something is doing. They make sentences come alive by showing movement and action!
What Are Action Words?
Action words (also called verbs) tell us what someone or something does. Examples include:
- Moving: run, jump, walk, skip, hop
- Using hands: write, draw, throw, catch, build
- Making sounds: sing, talk, yell, whisper, laugh
- Eating: eat, drink, chew, bite, swallow
- Thinking: think, know, learn, remember
Key Words to Know
- Action Word (Verb): A word that tells what someone or something does
- Action: Something you can do, like running or jumping
How to Find Action Words
Ask yourself: "What is happening?" or "What is the person or thing doing?"
- "The dog barks." - What is the dog doing? Barking!
- "I read a book." - What am I doing? Reading!
- "The ball bounced." - What did the ball do? It bounced!
Fun Fact!
Every sentence needs an action word! Without one, we would not know what is happening.
Not a sentence: "The cat." (What about the cat?)
A sentence: "The cat sleeps." (Now we know what the cat does!)
💡 Examples
Look at these examples of action words in sentences.
Example 1: Moving Action
Look at this sentence:
"The frog jumps into the pond."
Action word: jumps
What it tells us: The frog is moving up and then down into the water.
Example 2: Eating Action
Look at this sentence:
"The boy eats his lunch."
Action word: eats
What it tells us: The boy is putting food in his mouth and chewing.
Example 3: Sound Action
Look at this sentence:
"The bird sings in the tree."
Action word: sings
What it tells us: The bird is making musical sounds.
Example 4: Hand Action
Look at this sentence:
"She draws a picture."
Action word: draws
What it tells us: She is using her hand to make a picture.
Example 5: Two Action Words
Look at this sentence:
"The children run and play."
Action words: run, play
What they tell us: The children are moving fast (running) and having fun (playing).
✏️ Practice
Find the action word in each sentence.
Problem 1
"The baby cries."
What is the action word?
Show Answer
cries - It tells us what the baby is doing (making crying sounds).
Problem 2
"I kick the ball."
What is the action word?
Show Answer
kick - It tells us what I am doing with my foot.
Problem 3
"The teacher reads a story."
What is the action word?
Show Answer
reads - It tells us what the teacher is doing (looking at words and saying them).
Problem 4
"My dog sleeps on the bed."
What is the action word?
Show Answer
sleeps - It tells us what the dog is doing (resting with eyes closed).
Problem 5
"We swim in the pool."
What is the action word?
Show Answer
swim - It tells us what we are doing in the water.
Problem 6
"Mom cooks dinner."
What is the action word?
Show Answer
cooks - It tells us what Mom is doing (making food with heat).
Problem 7
"The wind blows the leaves."
What is the action word?
Show Answer
blows - It tells us what the wind is doing (pushing air).
Problem 8
"The clown laughs loudly."
What is the action word?
Show Answer
laughs - It tells us what the clown is doing (making happy sounds).
Problem 9
"She climbs the ladder."
What is the action word?
Show Answer
climbs - It tells us what she is doing (going up).
Problem 10
"The bee buzzes around."
What is the action word?
Show Answer
buzzes - It tells us what the bee is doing (making a buzzing sound while flying).
✅ Check Your Understanding
Answer these questions to see how well you understand action words.
Question 1
What is an action word?
Show Answer
An action word (verb) is a word that tells what someone or something does. It shows action like running, jumping, eating, or thinking.
Question 2
How can you find the action word in a sentence?
Show Answer
Ask yourself: "What is happening?" or "What is the person or thing doing?" The answer is the action word!
Question 3
Find the two action words: "The cat runs and hides under the bed."
Show Answer
runs and hides - The cat does two things: it runs (moves fast) and hides (goes where it cannot be seen).
Question 4
Why does every sentence need an action word?
Show Answer
Without an action word, we would not know what is happening. The action word tells us what the person, animal, or thing is doing.
🚀 Next Steps
- Act it out: Say an action word and act it out! Can someone guess your word?
- Action hunt: Look around your room. What actions do you see? (A clock ticks, a fan spins, a pet sleeps)
- Write sentences: Pick an action word and write a sentence using it.
- Keep learning: Move on to the Describing Words lesson to learn about words that tell what things are like!